Moving on after critical incidents in health care: A qualitative study of the perspectives and experiences of second victims

Abstract Aims To gain a deeper understanding of nurses and midwives' experiences following involvement in a critical incident in a non‐critical care area and to explore how they have 'moved‐on' from the event. Design An interpretive descriptive design guided inductive inquiry to interpret the meaning of moving‐on. Methods Purposive sampling recruited 10 nurses and midwives. Data collection comprised semi‐structured interviews, memos and field notes. Data were concurrently collected and analysed during 2016–2017 with NVivo 11. The thematic analysis enabled a coherent analytical framework evolving emerging themes and transformation of the data into credible interpretive description findings, adhering to the COREQ reporting guidelines. Results The findings revealed five main themes: Initial emotional and physical response, the aftermath, long‐lasting repercussions, workplace support and moving‐on. Conclusion This study shed light on the perceptions of nurses and midwives who lived through the impact of critical incidents. Through their lens, the strategies engaged in to move‐on were identified and their call for organizational and collegial support received a voice.